The first Jesuit missionaries to China were a really fascinating group and Liam Matthew Brockey’s Journey to the East provides many new insights into their mission. Whereas previous accounts tended to emphasise the Jesuit mission to the imperial court, Brockey conclusively shows that they also made a big impact in the countryside among ordinary folk too.Continue reading “The Jesuits in China”
Category Archives: Art
On Foxgloves and Marauding Strawberries
I, Juan de Pareja
I wrote briefly the other day about the fascinating story of Juan de Pareja, who was the the slave of Velázquez before being freed and becoming an artist in his own right.
Spring unfolds
Over recent weeks and months I’ve been trying to respond to the unfolding seasons by sketching what I see rather than by taking lots of photos. It’s an attempt to slow down and really see what’s there, though my artistic skills aren’t yet up to the job. (However, I have learned quite a lot inContinue reading “Spring unfolds”
An intriguing painting: an intriguing story
This is ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ painted in 1661 by Juan de Pareja. Who he?
A remarkable picture with a remarkable story
What do you make of this picture from the Prado? Anyone want to speculate on who painted it? Or its style? I’m not going to say any more about it for the moment but will post a few comments in a couple of days time.
